Weft detector mechanism



April .20, 1937. E. F. ARZT 2,077,385

` wEFT DETECTOR MECHANISM Filed Dec. 26,v 1934 Patented Apr. 20, 1937UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates toa weft detector mechanism for looms, and moreparticularly to devices of this character adapted for closing anelectric circuit when the weft supply in the shuttle becomes exhaustedor substantially exhausted and thus bring into operation a suitable weftreplenishing mechanism or stop mechanism operatively connected with theloom.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a simple andinexpensive device of this character which is positive in its operation,contains a relatively small number of movable parts, and which iscapable of acting with certainty and precision to indicate the conditionof the weft supply.

Another object of the invention is the provision of ,a device of thischaracter comprising an angularly and longitudinally sliding weftdetector member mounted for free bodily movement relative to a supportand having simple but effective means for controlling its movements toinsure its certainty of operation for setting in motion the necessaryadjunctive devices upon the eX- haustion or substantial exhaustion ofthe weft supply from a bobbin.

Other objects and advantages of the invention relate to various improveddetails of construction as well as certain novel combinations andarrangements of the parts as will be more fully set forth in thedetailed description to follow.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the detector mechanism, with the coverplate broken away, and illustrating in full lines the position of theparts when the weft detector member is making initial engagement with afull bobbin at the start of a detecting beat of the loom, while showingin dotted lines the position of the parts as the weit detector member ismoved longitudinally of the support by continued advance of the laybeam.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View, similar to Fig. 1, but showing the positionof the parts upon angular movement of the weft detector member resultingfrom a weft detecting beat of the loom after the filling has becomeexhausted or substantially exhausted.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the detector mechanism, as seenlooking towards the shuttles in Figs. 1 and 2, and,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section view of a portion of the mechanism, takenalong the line 4-4 oi Fig. 3, and looking in the direction of the arrowsshown in that figure.

In the embodiment of the invention illusf trated herein, l designates aportion of a loom frame having a bar 2 carried thereby upon which may bemounted a supporting frame 3, which may be secured to the bar in any oneoi a plurality of adjusted positions by means of a set screw 4.

The supporting frame 3 may be oi any desired shape and appearance and isprovided with a transverse guideway E having side walls 7 and endabutments 8 for suitably restraining and directing the movement of aweft detector member 9 mounted for both angular and longitudinal bodilysliding movement within said guideway. The bottom face Il) of theguideway may be an integral part of the support 3, while a cover memberH may be secured to the supporting frame by screws or the like IZ andlocated in spaced relation With the bottom face il! to serve as a topface for the guideway.

The weft detector member 9 comprises a straight portion I4 and anangular portion I5 to which may be secured a separate weft engagingplate I6, provided with edge corrugatons Il, as by means of screws orthe like i8. The weit engaging plate I6 may be formed of bre, bakeliteor other similar material, although it may bek made integral with theweft detector member 9 if desired. That portion of the weft detectormember 9 which is normally positioned Within the guideway 6 is providedwith lateral lobate arms 2D, each of which is rounded, as shown in Figs.1 and 2 of the drawing, to slidably engage the side Walls 'l of theguideway and permit either angular or longitudinal sliding movement ofthe weit detector member relative to the support. A pair of pins 2| mayextend upwardly from the bottom face I0 of the guideway, and are sopositioned as to be in substantial engagement with the lateral arms 20at points adjacent to the termination of the rounded edge portions whenthe rounded edges of the lobate arms 20 contact With the end abutments 8and thereby serve as hinge points about which the weft detector membermay turn in any angular sliding movement of the weft detector memberrelative to the support, without permitting the end of one of the lobatearms to bind against one of the side walls 1 in making the turningmovement.

A contact plate 24 is carried by the weft detector member 9 and may beformed integral therewith or secured thereto by any suitable means, suchas screws 25. The plate 24 is provided with an extension 26 normallypositioned within a transverse opening 2l formed in the supportingframe. The extension member 26 is adapted to engage an electric contactmember 23 carried by an insulating block 30 which is secured to thesupporting frame by any suitable means, such as a screw 32, upon angularsliding movement of the weft detector member 9, as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawing.

A stud 34 carried by the weft detector member 9 is connected with oneend of a coiled spring 36, the opposite end of the spring being anchoredto a stud 31 carried by the supporting frame. The coiled spring 36serves to maintain the weft detector member 9 normally in extendedposition for engagement with a bobbin upon each weft detecting beat ofthe loom.

The electric contact member 28 forms part of an electric circuit whichincludes the wire 39 and contact supporting bolt 33, and which circuitis adapted to control a suitable weit replenishing mechanism or a stopdevice, as the case may be after a manner well known in this art. Theengagement of the extension member 26 with the contact member 28 servesto close the electric circuit through the machine frame to actuate suchmechanism after a manner Well known in devices of this character.

A loom shuttle 4U, provided with a bobbin 4| carrying a weft lling 42,is shown in Fig. l of the drawing, with the weft detector member 9, asshown in full lines, located in position to pass the weft engaging plateI6 through the usual feeler opening 43 in the shuttle and into contactwith the weft lling at the beginning of the detecting beat of the loom.The presence of a substantial quantity of weft lling upon the bobbin 4|when engaged by the plate I6 prevents slippage of the plate memberlongitudinally of the bobbin and results in longitudinal slidingmovement of the weft detector member transversely of the supportingframe 3, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, as the shuttle 40 andbobbin 4| move forwardly on the detecting beat. As the weft detectormember is held against substantial angular movement relative to thesupporting frame 3, the extension member 26 of the plate 24 fails toengage the electric contact member 28 and the lay beam moves back out ofthe way of the weft detector member without closing the electric circuitto indicate replenishment or actuate a stop mechanism.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, the loom shuttle body and bobbin 4| are shownmoving forwardly on a detecting beat of the loom when the weft fillinghas reached a state of substantial exhaustion. In such a case the platemember I6 upon engagement with the spindle, or a sparse winding of weftfilling, is not restrained from angular movement by the presence of thelling and moves towards the left, as shown in that ligure, by reason ofthe angularity of the portion l5 of the weft detector member. Thisresults in` imparting a bodily sliding movement to the weft detectormember 9 in which the lobate arm 20 located at the right of that figureinitially turns about the pin 2| located adjacent theretol to swingabout the pin 2| in a direction anguiarly of the supporting frame andbring the extension` member 26 into engagement with the electric contactplate 23 to close the electric circuit through the machine frame andeither indicate replenishment or actuate a stop mechanism.

The supporting frame 3, bar 2, loom frame and the main portion of theweft detector member 9 may be of any suitable metal construction, andbeing in continual contact serve as a ground for completing the electriccircuit when the extension member 26 engages the electric contact plate28 upon angular sliding movement of the weft detector member.

The supporting frame 3, including the cover plate ll, as well as thedetector member 9, may be formed from iron, steel, bronze or the like,such as is well adapted to serve as a conductor of an electric current,and if desired, the side walls of the recess as well as the lobate arms26 may be hardened to reduce wear.

It will be seen that the present construction is of an exceedinglysimple character comprising few parts so arranged as not to get out oforder readily and requiring little or no change or adjustment when inuse. The device is positive in its operation, as the engagement of thecorrugated edge I1 of the plate $6 with the weft material insuressubstantially straight line longitudinal movement of the weft detectormember when a substantial amount of iilling is carried by the bobbin,and the rounded lobate arms 2) engaging the side walls 'l insure freesliding movement of the weft detector member longitudinally as well asthe unhampered return oi? the weft detector member to its initialposition under the iniiuence of the coiled spring 36. The provision ofthe hinge members 2| suitably located with respect to the rounded endportions of the lobate arms 20 insure the desired angular movementI ofthe weft detector member for closing the electric circuit uponexhaustion or substantial exhaustion of the weft filling without dangerof the weft detector member becoming jammed or cramped in its movementrelative to the supporting frame.

What I claim is:

1. In a weft detector mechanism for looms comprising a fixed supportprovided with opposed walls forming a transverse guideway havinglaterally reduced and laterally enlarged portions, a weft detectormember having a longitudinally extending portion of less width than thereduced portion of said guideway slidably mounted in said guideway forangular and longitudinal sliding movement relative to said support andprovided with oppositely positioned arms extending outwardly from thelongitudinally extending portion thereof within the laterally enlargedportion of said guideway, spring means connecting said support anddetector member for exerting tension upon said detector member in adirection substantially along the central longitudinal line of thelongitudinal portion thereof, an insulated electric contact member, andcontact means carried by said weft detector member and movable intoengagement with the electric contact member to close an electric circuitupon angular sliding movement of said weft detector member in onedirection relative to said support.

2. In a weft detector mechanism for looms, a fixed support provided withside and end walls forming a guideway having a widened portion and anarrowed end portion located substantially medially of the widenedportion, an elongated weft detector member mounted in the guideway forfree angular and longitudinal sliding movement in any direction in theplane of the weft detector member and within the limits of the guidewayand provided with outwardly projecting side portions engageable with theside or end wall portions of said guideway for controlling the slidingmovement of said weft detector member, spring means connecting saidsupport and weft detector member normally urging both of the outwardlyprojecting side portions of the weft detector member into contact withrespective end walls of the guideway, and means actuable upon angularmovement of said weft detector member in one direction for effecting achange in the operation of the loom.

3. In a weft detector member for looms, a fixed support provided withside and end wall portions forming a guideway having a transverselywid-- ened portion and a narrowed end portion located substantiallymedially of the widened portion, an elongated weft detector memberslidably and nonpivotally mounted in said guideway for free bodilysliding movement in any direction in the plane of the detector memberand Within the limits of the guideway and provided with an intermediateportion of greater width than one end portion for engagement with theside and end wall portions of the guideway for limiting the extent ofangular and longitudinal sliding movement of said member within theguideway, an electric contact member carried by but insulated from saidsupport, contact means carried by said weft detector member andmaintained out of engagement with said electric contact member uponlongitudinal sliding movement of said weft detector member relative tosaid support but engageable with said electric Contact member uponangular sliding movement of said weft detector member in one directionrelative to said support, and spring means connecting said support andweft detector member.

4. In a weft detector mechanism for looms, a

xed support having a face portion and provided with side and end Wallportions angularly positioned relative to said face portion and forminga guideway having a widened portion and a narrowed end portion locatedsubstantially medially of the widened portion, an elongated weftdetector member having a longitudinally extending portion of materiallyless width than the widened portion of the guideway and mounted upon theface portion thereof for free sliding movement longitudinally of itsextent and angularly thereof in any direction within the limits of theguideway, oppositely positioned means carried by said weft detectormember and engageable with the side and end wall portions of theguideway for limiting the longitudinal and angular movement thereof,spring means connecting said support and weft detector member andeffective upon the weft'detector member to impart thereto asubstantially straight line movement longitudinally of said detectormember and transversely of said support, an electric contact membercarried by but insulated from said support, and contact means carried bysaid weft detector member and movable into engagement with said electric'contact member upon angular movement of said weft detector member inone direction relative to said support. l

EMIL F. ARZT.

